In the ongoing battle against climate change, finding innovative ways to manage waste is crucial. One important consideration is how energy recovery is playing a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and the negative impact of landfills.
What is Energy Recovery?
Energy recovery is the process of converting waste into energy, offering a significant environmental benefit compared to traditional landfills. Every year, this method prevents 21,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to saving around 2.5 tonnes every hour. This not only reduces our reliance on fossil fuels for energy but also limits the amount of land needed for landfill sites, protecting valuable habitats and ecosystems.
Do Landfills create Greenhouse Gas?
By significantly reducing landfill waste, energy recovery tackles one of the most pressing issues in waste management: greenhouse gases. Landfills generate vast amounts of methane, a potent gas contributing heavily to climate change. In 2022 alone, landfills in the UK released 13.5 million metric tonnes of CO2. With energy recovery, the amount of waste sent to landfills can be drastically reduced, alleviating these emissions.
What is Leachate?
Additionally, landfills pose threats beyond greenhouse gases. Toxic leachate, a harmful liquid generated by decomposing waste, contaminates soil and water sources, endangering aquatic life and potentially affecting human health. By diverting waste to energy recovery, we decrease the risk of this dangerous contamination.
How does Energy Recovery Work?
Energy recovery reclaims valuable resources and generates energy that can be utilised by local communities. This approach also helps to lower the maintenance costs associated with landfills, which often require significant effort to regenerate and protect the environment around them. This method not only helps to limit carbon emissions but also provides a cleaner, greener way to manage waste. As the global community works toward climate goals, energy recovery is a powerful tool in reducing our environmental footprint and securing a sustainable future.
How much space does Landfill take up?
The statistics are clear: an estimated 121,500 hectares of UK land is tied up by active or historical landfills. Without change, this figure will only grow, further straining our natural resources. Energy recovery, by reducing landfill dependency, offers a more sustainable, long-term solution.
The Sustainable Solution
At Avena, we offer secure and sustainable solutions that help reduce carbon emissions and relieve pressure on our planet. By responsibly recycling, re-purposing, and re-manufacturing paper, textiles, and WEEE items, your organisation can achieve measurable carbon savings and contribute to a more sustainable future. When this is not possible, Avena utilise Energy Recovery Facilities to provide a Zero to Landfill solution.
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